Category: General Warfare
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“War is not some sort of hokey-cokey concept”
During the 10-hour debate in the UK Parliament over whether to use military intervention in Syria, MP Jim Sheridan from Scotland stood up and offered some wisdom. For those of you who without video or who may not understand Scottish accents: Does he agree with me that any reckless or irresponsible action could lead to…
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War is war. Stop rebranding it.
Although war has had many names over the years, never let anyone rebrand that which has had an unchanged nature throughout human history. Growing up, I recall my parents cynically tossing around the term “police action,” mocking its many uses to describe what eventually became known as the Korean War. Hundreds of thousands of troops…
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Before we go to war with Syria
I will admit that in 2003, I was young, uneducated, and easily caught up in the fervor for war with Iraq like some of our smartest (and not so smart) politicians. Clausewitz warned us that “war is no pastime; it is no mere joy in daring and winning, no place for irresponsible enthusiasts” (p. 86).…
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Will Americans Support War on Nameless Enemies?
In On Strategy (1982), Harry G. Summers, Jr. bemoaned LBJ’s “conscious decision not to mobilize the American people—to invoke the national will—for the Vietnam War,” specifically not declaring war. Summers believed that by not declaring war, LBJ failed to invoke the national spirit of the country. Thus, he concluded that because the national will had “never…
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8 Books for the Military History Undergrad
The size of my library ebbs and flows, but it is currently pushing 600 books. I collected most of them during the past four years, as I worked on a military history degree. The focus was vast, covering the ancient Egyptians all the way to the Libyan Civil War. While I have used all of…
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Montgomery on Cromwell’s Military Legacy
If Americans could get over his depiction in Patton (1970), they might learn to like British General Bernard Montgomery (1887-1976), or at least find him endearing. ((Or as he preferred to be called, Field-Marshal Viscount Montgomery of Alamein. Bear with me, Americans struggle with long titles.)) I got over my hate and I read his…
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The Bastogne Mardasson Memorial
While in Luxembourg, a Belgian coworker harassed me, “You’re an American and you’ve never visited Bastogne?” It was true. I was visiting the Low Countries for the third time and I had zero plans to visit the famous town from the Battle of the Bulge. To redeem myself, I showed him a picture of the…
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Luxembourg’s Bourscheid Castle
On the way to Bastogne, I passed a sign pointing to a castle. I was feeling adventurous, so I went 10 miles out of my way to visit the Bourscheid Castle. It was well worth the detour. As you approach the castle, there is a superb spot for panoramic shots of the castle and valley.…
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What Does It Take to Earn a Military History Degree?
Several folks have asked me about my experience acquiring a bachelor’s in military history. While I cannot answer what goes into a military history degree at every university offering it, I can highlight what it took me to finish mine at AMU. In short, it was 121 credit hours, which translated to 41 courses and…
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Defining Grand Strategy Succinctly
Those studying political and military history will inevitably come across the term “grand strategy.” Books on grand strategy are becoming more prevalent nowadays, but the basic concept is not always clear to laymen, but it can be crucial in understanding historical outcomes. For example, to explain why America never lost a single battle during the…
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Why You should Care about the War of 1812
It is a common misperception that only recent wars have been politically controversial. When the House and Senate voted 69% and 77% respectively in favor of the Iraq War Resolution in 2002, this was not the first time Congress was divided on starting a war. In the summer of 1812, the House and Senate voted…
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Why Military History Prior to 1939 is Important
I am making my way through Jeremy Black’s Rethinking Military History (2004). Now that I can own a copy that costs less $89, I am ready to rethink. In it, Black sees a problem among American leaders in that if they do study history, they rarely venture further back than World War II. Indeed, despite…